6.5 26-00579:15 A.M. - Consideration of Authorizing Special Districts to Develop a Proposal With EGX Energy to Locate Geothermal Facilities on the Southeast Treatment Plant Property
Board of Supervisors,
You must oppose this request. Your Clearlake residents affected by the sewage spill disaster as well as others living nearby deserve your respect. Respect means to oppose this consideration and table it for a long, long time because at minimum, you have not properly addressed the sewage spill disaster.
Also this item is presented without supporting materials such as maps, draft concepts, environmental framework, CEQA pathway, or fiscal analysis. Given the proximity to an active environmental incident and the long term environmental and financial implications of geothermal development, transparency and clear process guardrails are essential from the outset.
I urge the Board to defer this item until the spill is fully addressed and to ensure robust public disclosure, CEQA clarity, and defined limits before any negotiations or proposals proceed.
While this item is described as “early stage,” early process decisions are often the most consequential. According to the staff memorandum, preliminary discussions between County Administration, Special Districts, and EGX Energy have already occurred. However, the agenda packet contains no correspondence, draft proposals, maps, site concepts, fiscal analysis, or independent technical review to support the claims presented. From the public’s perspective, this creates the appearance that key elements of a proposal may be taking shape before meaningful public awareness or input.
I am concerned about the timing and site context. The Southeast Treatment Plant property is the same facility footprint, or immediately adjacent to the impact area, associated with the recent sewage spill. That spill remains a significant environmental and public trust issue. Advancing a new industrial use on a site with recent contamination raises legitimate questions about baseline environmental conditions, cumulative impacts, regulatory overlap, and long-term liability. This context should be explicitly acknowledged and addressed before further negotiations proceed.
I have significant concerns about process, transparency, and public confidence. Trust in government is currently very low, and it is strengthened or weakened by how early-stage decisions are handled.
I respectfully urge the Board to condition any authorization on the following:
1. Public release of all communications, draft proposals, maps, and materials exchanged with EGX Energy to date.
2. A clear commitment that no lease terms, development agreements, or site configurations will be negotiated prior to CEQA review and public scoping.
3. Identification of the CEQA lead agency and anticipated environmental review pathway.
4. Independent geological and seismic analysis, along with full disclosure of long-term liability and well-closure responsibilities.
5. Clear Board-defined limits on the scope of staff negotiations, including acreage, number of wells, and lease duration.
These reasonable requests would improve transparency, protect the County, and help rebuild public trust in decisions of this magnitude.
I strongly oppose authorizing a geothermal plant this close to Clear Lake. Geothermal power plants can cause environmental and technical issues, including the release of greenhouse gases like hydrogen sulfide and CO2, potential water contamination from heavy metals (arsenic, mercury), and ground instability leading to subsidence or small-scale earthquakes. My wife's family has owned property in the city of Clearlake (near Austin Park) for more than 50 yrs and has seen the area deteriorate thus decreasing home values. My wife and I have owned a house in Clearlake Keys for almost 20 yrs. For us it is a great getaway from the "city" where we live. We appreciate all that the area offers; the wildlife, water recreation, etc. It is a beautiful lake that, unfortunately, has a bad reputation due to a bad element that lives here and the occasional smelly algae bloom. These are problems that require your attention. We don't need another problem in the area that would decrease property values and cause residents to sell their homes and go elsewhere for vacation property. I think a solar farm would be a much better alternative for generating electricity.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
Wayne Joseph
Board of Supervisors,
You must oppose this request. Your Clearlake residents affected by the sewage spill disaster as well as others living nearby deserve your respect. Respect means to oppose this consideration and table it for a long, long time because at minimum, you have not properly addressed the sewage spill disaster.
Also this item is presented without supporting materials such as maps, draft concepts, environmental framework, CEQA pathway, or fiscal analysis. Given the proximity to an active environmental incident and the long term environmental and financial implications of geothermal development, transparency and clear process guardrails are essential from the outset.
I urge the Board to defer this item until the spill is fully addressed and to ensure robust public disclosure, CEQA clarity, and defined limits before any negotiations or proposals proceed.
While this item is described as “early stage,” early process decisions are often the most consequential. According to the staff memorandum, preliminary discussions between County Administration, Special Districts, and EGX Energy have already occurred. However, the agenda packet contains no correspondence, draft proposals, maps, site concepts, fiscal analysis, or independent technical review to support the claims presented. From the public’s perspective, this creates the appearance that key elements of a proposal may be taking shape before meaningful public awareness or input.
I am concerned about the timing and site context. The Southeast Treatment Plant property is the same facility footprint, or immediately adjacent to the impact area, associated with the recent sewage spill. That spill remains a significant environmental and public trust issue. Advancing a new industrial use on a site with recent contamination raises legitimate questions about baseline environmental conditions, cumulative impacts, regulatory overlap, and long-term liability. This context should be explicitly acknowledged and addressed before further negotiations proceed.
I have significant concerns about process, transparency, and public confidence. Trust in government is currently very low, and it is strengthened or weakened by how early-stage decisions are handled.
I respectfully urge the Board to condition any authorization on the following:
1. Public release of all communications, draft proposals, maps, and materials exchanged with EGX Energy to date.
2. A clear commitment that no lease terms, development agreements, or site configurations will be negotiated prior to CEQA review and public scoping.
3. Identification of the CEQA lead agency and anticipated environmental review pathway.
4. Independent geological and seismic analysis, along with full disclosure of long-term liability and well-closure responsibilities.
5. Clear Board-defined limits on the scope of staff negotiations, including acreage, number of wells, and lease duration.
These reasonable requests would improve transparency, protect the County, and help rebuild public trust in decisions of this magnitude.
I strongly oppose authorizing a geothermal plant this close to Clear Lake. Geothermal power plants can cause environmental and technical issues, including the release of greenhouse gases like hydrogen sulfide and CO2, potential water contamination from heavy metals (arsenic, mercury), and ground instability leading to subsidence or small-scale earthquakes. My wife's family has owned property in the city of Clearlake (near Austin Park) for more than 50 yrs and has seen the area deteriorate thus decreasing home values. My wife and I have owned a house in Clearlake Keys for almost 20 yrs. For us it is a great getaway from the "city" where we live. We appreciate all that the area offers; the wildlife, water recreation, etc. It is a beautiful lake that, unfortunately, has a bad reputation due to a bad element that lives here and the occasional smelly algae bloom. These are problems that require your attention. We don't need another problem in the area that would decrease property values and cause residents to sell their homes and go elsewhere for vacation property. I think a solar farm would be a much better alternative for generating electricity.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
Wayne Joseph